With Peter's (Joshua Jackson) help, Walter is able to review the vision of September as Donald, and locates the experience as having occurred in an apartment in Brooklyn, New York.
The Observers developed asexual procreation techniques; in the case of Michael, he was born from September's genes but came out as an anomaly having both emotions and great intelligence.
Should this happen, time would possibly be reset from the point of the Observer's first interference with the past; Olivia (Anna Torv) takes this as a chance for them to see Etta again.
Walter identifies that he was given the hologram of the plans for the device from Etta (as seen in "Letters of Transit") that would be able to send Michael forward in time, which will be constructed from all of the components collected by following the tapes.
Windmark explains to his superior of the interference of the Fringe team and requests permission to go back to a point in time where he could prevent this, but is refused, and told that his current operations are on their planned path.
"The Boy Must Live" was written by supervising producer Graham Roland, marking his third writing credit of the season.
[1][2] The traditional folk song "Greensleeves" is played by September using a small music box; one lyrical variation on this melody is "What Child Is This?
An estimated 2.44 million viewers watched the episode, and earned a ratings share of 0.8 among adults aged 18 to 49.
He also said the episode "suggests that Fringe is going to push all-in with a 'power of love' resolution", but commented that, "it's hardly a radical departure for Fringe to consider technology in the context of humanity" and "it's been the whole dang point of the show: what makes us human, and whether technology or turns of circumstance can change the essence of who we are.